Raevens walk
by TheodoraG
Summary: Rae grew up with four brothers, now finding themselfs in a mad world of living dead. After a while she is all alone, until she meets a new group of survivors.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter I**

His stare was cold. Deadly cold. Rae laid on her stomach, Dawns foot pushing in her neck. He held her arm up, so she couldn't move. "You were not to just barge in my room and go through my stuff. Ya hear?"

Dawn released his foot, now pushing his knee in her neck. His face came closer, right next to her ear. She could feel his hot breath and smell of alcohol with every word he said. "You are already dead. That's how you survive, remember? Being nosy doesn't fit in."

Rae let out a huffed sound, not impressed by his words. Before she knew it, he yanked her right back on her feet causing her to almost lose her balance. "Listen Rae." Dawns voice was sharp. "You are too nosy for your own good. And you're really getting on my nerves. Now, get outta here before I kick your ass."

He pushed her away and Rae stumbled backwards. A challenging look in her eyes. "Shoot." Rae just raised her eyebrow and slowly left the room. Irritation boiled in her. She heard the door slamming shut behind her. She cursed her eldest brother for his threatening and grumpy attitude.

Dawn was the eldest of her four brothers and herself. He was the one that had looked after them since they were on their own. And that was a long time. On their own, since their parents... But she stopped her thoughts. The past was the past. Dawn was hardly home and if he was, he was shit drunk.

She sighted as she entered the small closet that she slept in. it wasn't much, but she was used to it. Darkness and a blanket was all she needed.

From the other room she heard rough voices softly yelling at each other. Not loud enough to attract the Moaners, though. Moaners, that's what they called the creepy corpses there had taken over the planet. But in here, the living did nothing but fighting with each other. It was a habit.

Beside Dawn, her third brother Seth and her, there were five other men who stayed with them. Not the kindest men, just some shitheads looking for a fight every second of the day.

Dawn was their leader, or so he called himself, but he wasn't the easiest person to get along with. He was stubborn (what she might got from him) and an extreme hothead. Listening to the advice of others wasn't something he liked. And mostly never did.

But whenever he wasn't drunk of high, Rae was sometimes able to talk some sense in to him. But for now she knew it wouldn't do any good to talk to him. It would just piss him off. And he would piss her off.

When she went to his room earlier, to look for some cigarettes and just wondering around (the nosy person she was), he caught her. Before she knew it he had pushed her on the ground. But she could care less, he was never one to act softly. And neither was she.

The yelling continued, as she also heard Seth joining in. He was easier to get along with, although he also had a very short temper. She was left with only the two most hotheaded brothers. She felt a twitch in her stomach as she thought of Sem and Levi. The two other brothers were no longer part of their group. She rather just forget about them. It would make things just so much easier.

Thinking of the past made her weak. And weakness wasn't something she wanted to show. The past was filled with nothing but pain and it distracted her. She needed to be alert with the whole world going to shit.

But now her eyes grew heavy as she laid down on the blankets. Although she hardly slept, so now and then she drifted off in a light stage of unconsciousness.

As Rae laid out on the blanked, a sudden kick against her leg made her sit up straight immediately. Seth's face hung above her, a worried expression on his face. She rubbed her eyes and got up, leaning her hand against the wall for support.

"What?" Her voice was grumpy from being woken up in the middle of a rare sleep. "The men got into an argument with Dawn. They're leavin'." Seth's voice sounded frustrated, his words waking up Rae at once.

She looked confused. " Well, that would be somethin' to celebrate." She said gruffly.

Seth looked away for a moment. "Yeah, it would. But they don't want Dawn leading anymore, wanna make this an anarchy. That's what they said. What _Benjamin_ said. Hell, we know that that's never gonna work. They just gonna take the lead themselves. Maybe leave us as Moaners bait." He looked at her, with a crooked smile.

Rae thought for a moment. "Dawn drunk?" She asked tiredly. When Dawn was drunk he fought. When he wasn't drunk, he still fought but then he used his brain a little bit more. She hoped he used it now.

"Nah, sobered up I guess. But now he's threatening to kick'em out. But they're not gonna leave emptyhanded."

Rae felt tired of all this bickering. She was sick of the men, she knew the men often threw filthy looks on her, sometimes even trying to make a move. But they never came very far. Those fuckers stopped trying when she kicked their balls and broke some noses. Rae was small and pretty skinny, but she had more muscle and strength than most girls. All girls in fact.

Growing up with four brothers in the slums of town and hunting trips into the woods, she had no choice than take care of herself. And that is what she did. Even when they got separated for a while, when they were little. But they found each other again. Eventually. The woods had also been a safe haven when she had walked away from a foster home. She had spent days out there.

Rae nodded silently, stepping past Seth. She heard his footsteps behind her as she entered the dark livingroom.

Dawn stood in the center, facing her while the other men sat or stood around him. Benjamin, the eldest of the other men and obviously their spokesman, stood face to face with Dawn. All they did was staring at each other, but the tension in the room was high.

With a low and dark voice Dawn began to speak. "You take this filthy men with you and find yourselves some other place to stay." He moved a step closer to Benjamin, their noses just a few inches apart. By the look on Benjamins face, his breath still smelled of alcohol.

"And you really think an anarchy would work? It would end in a bloodbath. You copy?" Dawns eyes where dark. Rae could hear Benjamin's angry breathing as he showed his teeth.

"You will never survive, the three of you. You are weak and a terrible leader. Most of the time you're even shit drunk. Soon you'll be zombie meat." _Zombie_. That name just didn't fit, it felt surreal. _And Moaners didn't?_ But Rae thought it fitted with their moaning sounds.

Dawn huffed, obviously not impressed. Rae grinned at his responds, he never cared what others thought of him. But she agreed with Benjamin on the drunk part. It irritated her to no end that he needed that stupid bottle. Just to push away his guilt feeling and shit knows what more.

Benjamin nodded his head to the other four men, as he slowly stepped back. "Don't think we leave this easily." He paused. "Give us guns and food, _then_ we'll leave. " Dawn's cold stare returned as he knew they wouldn't leave without it, probably taking everything they had. But the thought of them out there with guns, didn't make him happy.

Suddenly he saw Rae and Seth standing in de doorway. Rae's eyes were closed off from every emotion, like always. Just like his eyes. But she nodded silently. He still wasn't sure if sending the men away, was the right decision. Suddenly another idea came up to him, and that didn't include men wandering out there with _their_ weapons and food. Rae saw his hesitation.

The men were still waiting for him to speak. He looked darkly at hem. "Only one weapon each and food for a week."

Benjamin narrowed his eyes. "Fine." He huffed. Dawn looked relieved, but also amazed by the sudden cooperation of the man. Rae knew he could take this men, especially with Seth and her helping him. Dawn nodded. "Seth, you gather the supplies with Benjamin. Rae and I will stay here."

Without a word, Seth passed Rae and took Benjamin to the supply room in the basement, throwing a knowing look at Dawn. Dawn nodded. Then his gaze went to Rae. He jerked his head a little, then looked at the bowie knife at her belt. She frowned, confused by his intensions.

Then they heard a gunshot in the basement, which Dawn replied by throwing himself on one of the men. Rae saw his throwing knife glister in the scare light as he silently pushed it in the man's neck and then in his head.

For a second, Rae was shocked by this sudden action. But she quickly crabbed her bowie knife and went for the men. But the men also realized what was going on, as one of them came at her with his own knife. But Rae was small and fast, so she ducked under his arm and pushed her knife in his side. Now she was thankful that no one carried guns in the house.

The man let out a painful cry, but she quickly pushed her knife in his eye. He felt to the ground, still alive. But she was already going at the next man. He was also coming at her and his knife scraped at the side of her face, leaving a bloody cut. She then threw both her foot around his legs and they both fell down. Quick as she was, she slit his throat making him gargle in his own blood. It wasn't the first time she killed a person and saw him die, but there was still a sting in her heart when she took a life.

Suddenly an arm slid around her neck, laying a knife against her throat. She tried to pull away, expecting a knife in her head at any moment. But she dared to jerk her head backwards, breaking the man's nose. His arm was still around her neck, looser now. She got a hold of it and pulled the man forward, causing him to fall on his side. She saw the bloody mess where she stabbed him in the eye, but was too focused to kill him. She took the knife out of his hand, putting it in his temple. After a final gasp, he laid still.

She snapped around, ready for the next attack. But all she saw was Dawn wiping the blood of his knife and his eyes were cold again. She smirked. They took care of them all.

"It took you long enough. I would've done it quicker on my own." They turned their heads, seeing Seth standing near the basement, with his arms crossed.

Dawn huffed. "Would've seen you tryin'."

He turned his gaze between them. "We should've done this much sooner. These guys where just a bunch of loonies." Then he looked at Rae's face. "You alright?" As his hand gestured to the scratch on the side. Rae touched her face and blood stuck on her fingers. "Yeah, no big deal." Dawn only nodded, his face blank.

Rae looked around the room, the dead men laying on the floor. She stepped to the man that got his throat slit and yanked her knife through his skull.

"Now he's really dead." She wiped her knife clean on the sleeve of his shirt and straightened her back. "I guess they're the _zombie_ meat now." She said dryly.

" Yeah, they are. But we can't just throw 'em out." Seth looked concerned. There was a silence as they all stared to the dead bodies. Suddenly there was a soft moaning outside the house.

Dawn sighted. "They heard the noise. We'll leave the bodies here. It's time to look for a new place to stay, anyway. I'll see if I can still reach the car."

Rae looked at him and shrugged her shoulders. But Dawn was already speaking again. "All right. That's settled than. I go out, get the car, while you two gather our stuff and wait for me." With that being said, Dawn took the gun Seth was still holding and paced to the barricaded door. Rae raised an eyebrow. Dawn just barged out without waiting for an answer. Again.

After about an hour, Seth and Rae had gathered all their stuff. Dawn still hadn't returned. Although he often used to disappear on his own, with the zombies walking the earth worry was always in their lives. He was a big guy, but even Dawn couldn't stand against a herd of Moaners.

Another hour past and Seth was pacing up and down the livingroom. "That shithead's gonna kill us some day. Just strolling away and leave us." He paused, his voice softer now. " Just like Sem did."

Rae flinched when she heard his name. "Shut up." She said hard. Seth just gave her a look.

Just then they heard an engine stopping behind the house. They both jumped to their feet as quick footsteps hurried to the door, before they heard a knock. Seth had barricaded it again as soon as Dawn had left. He walked towards it and said: "Who?" He smiled when he heard a grumpy voice.

"It's Dawn, you peacock. Open the fucking door, hurry." Seth quickly cleared the door and Dawn stormed in. "Quick, you sloths. I attract all the zombies in town with the damn car noise." Dawn snapped.

"Well, it took you long enough." Rae said plainly. Dawn furrowed his brows. "You better watch it. The damn car didn't start. Had to find another one." His voice was hard.

They continoud to stare at each other, to stubborn to be the first to look away. Seth looked at the two, than pushing a bag in Rae's arm. "C'mon, no time for staring battles." After one last firing look, Rae turned away.

They hurried to get all the bags and the rest of their supplies in the small jeep and jumped in. Rae swung her bow over her head and grabbed her backpack. They felt comforting. She closed the door behind her, stepping into the jeep. "All ready?" Dawn looked at Seth and Rae as they nodded in responds. Dawn turned is eyes to the stearin wheel. Rae couldn't help but notice a flinch of old pain and guild flickering in his eyes, before they went cold again. Then he pushed the gas as hard as he could.

Rae looked back one more time, just to see several Moaners walking around the corner following them. The sting in her heart came back for the two men she had killed, hoping they were the last lives she ended. But she knew that she had changed, because the sting slowly faded every day.

Soon she would become numb, just like her brothers.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

* * *

They were two months on the roads, after they killed the five men. The jeep broke down after a weeks, what left them walking from place to place. But every time they found a decent place to stay, Moaners would ruin the change to rest properly. Damn bastards.

Right now, they were clearing a building while looking for supplies. There was no sign of any Moaners and Rae had already found some canned food and cookies. It was peacefully quiet. Rae held her bow and an arrow loosely in her hands, but still prepared if there was any danger. She looked around, the place was already very empty. Only the less tasty food was left. Well, they had to eat _something_.

Dawn was slowly walking on the other side of the store, a few paths from her. He looked tired, worn out. Yes, he was a dick. But still, he played his part in their survival. He was her _brother_. But there were so many moments that he just took off. He had always done just that, especially in difficult times. The times they needed each other the most. But that was Dawn, and she was used to it. Seth was so much different.

Just as she was wondering where Seth had gone to, Rae heard a loud scream from a door in the back of the store close to Dawn, along with now loud moans. Rae froze in place and looked at Dawn, who had the same shocked expression on his face as her. "Son of a…" Dawn begun. They both ran as fast as they could towards the open door.

"Seth?" Rae's voice was high with panic, but she didn't notice. They halted as they arrived at the door, carefully scanning the room. There he was, wildly beating in the head of a now dead Moaner with a hammer. There were two more, slowly walking towards them with half rotten legs. She quickly fired two arrows, straight in their eyes. In situations like this, Dawn always left the shooting to her. The bow was silent and her aim was perfect. She quickly walked over and pulled the arrows out. _Never waste you arrows._

Rae's eyes where big of shock when she returned her eyes on Seth. He was covered in blood But what drew her attention was the bloody bite on his arm. _He got bitten._ "NO, you shithead!" Dawn shouted as he walked fast toward Seth who was still beating the head of the Moaner. Dawn grabbed his arm harshly, stopping him and dragging him away.

Seth's eyes where wet and red of tears. "Fuckers." He whispered. Rae was still standing in the middle of the room, an aching pain growing in her chest. Dawn saw her and yelled at her. "Don't just stand there, you idiot! You better help, we've gotta get outta here" She quickly nodded and tore of the sleeve of her shirt. After covering up the bite on his arm, Rae took Seth by the arm and pulled him up. As they left the store, there was a soft moaning coming from a slightly open door in the back. There were more.

* * *

 _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._ The words kept hammering in her head as they hurried trough the store. _How did he get bitten? How did he not see them?_

Together they dragged Seth outside, looking for a safe place. There was no sign of Moaners on the streets, but it wouldn't take long. And Rae was right. Not long after they walked up the street, three Moaners appeared from behind an abandoned truck. With Seth between them, they were no faster than the things. "Shoot'em." Dawn whispered. "I've got Seth." Even though he whispered, Rae could hear the guild in his voice. She nodded and Dawn took over Seth's entire weight.

Her arms where slightly shaking from carrying Seth, but she had enough strength to shoot the arrows with her bow. Again, her aim was perfect. All three of them felt dead to the ground. And again, she collected her freshly shot arrows.

But then, more moans. She quickly turned around and spotted a group of Moaners coming from the direction they just came from. "C'mon! We've got to get to that apartment building over there." Rae followed Dawns gaze and nodded as she saw a high building, a couple of meters away. She grabbed Seth and sighted when she felt his weight again.

With their last strength, Dawn and Rae hurried to the building and helped Seth up the stairs. They were on the fifth floor, when Dawn guided them to a room. Rae cleared out the room and Dawn laid Seth on the only bed in the small apartment. Rae fell on the ground exhausted, closing her eyes. She heard Dawns footsteps, leaving the apartment. _He left them again._ But she didn't have the energy to stop him.

* * *

Rae didn't leave Seth's side. She noticed she was beginning to feel more numb as she saw Seth slowly dying right next to her. _Just like Levi._ She thought. His face appeared in her mind and her heart started to beat harder.

 _Levi just laid there, begging for help as he was being torn apart by Moaners. His arm reaching for her, his screams slowly fading away._ _There was nothing she could do._ It's what she kept telling herself. But all she felt was guilt and after that, nothing. Numb. And she was afraid that she begun to look like Dawn, more and more. Only caring about herself, because she already closed herself off from people who came too close.

Seth groans brought her back, his whole body was bathing in sweat. She looked at his arm that was swollen and the smell got worse every minute.

She looked up and sighted when she saw that Dawn still wasn't back. She knew he was angry with himself as he lost another brother. His last. _Damn, he was so selfish._ When she checked earlier, she noticed that he also took a bag with some supplies and a handgun. That idiot wasn't planning on coming back anytime soon. Or never. Rae laid her head in her hands, thoughts running through her mind like crazy.

She knew her mind had the dangerous ability to think so hard and deep, that she sometimes drove herself to the edge of insanity. That was one of the reasons she always pushed her memories and emotions away. The reason she never let anyone close enough to show her true self. She had done that too many times and it only ended up with her being torn apart.

"Rae." She jerked her head up, looking straight in the bloodstained eyes of Seth. He lifted his hand and she gently laid her hand in his.

"He, Seth. Hang in there." She heard the emptiness of words she spoke, but she was never big with words. Seth smiled weakly and opening his mouth to speak again. He was breathing hard, a terrible sound. "Rae, listen." His chest raised heavily. She nodded for him to continue.

"It was always the five of us. We made it." Again he stopped to catch his breath. "We never needed mom and dad. Even when we got separated for a while, we stayed strong." Rae managed to give him a little smile. His eyes suddenly became heartbreakingly sad. "You will live, Rae. You will survive. Even if Dawn would die, you don't. He would never let anyone help him, the idiot. But you, you should find some people and maybe give them a chance to become your friends." Rae gave him a look and he grinned a little. "I know you have a soft spot, Rae. You deserve the love of others" Rae swallowed hard and shook her head. She didn't deserve any of that, but his words touched her.

Seth may be a hot-head like Dawn, but he always seemed to care more for how she felt then Dawn did. Her brothers, all four of them, learned her how to survive on her own. Most of the times they were hardly home and she often would wonder around in the city.

She then remembered her closest friends, Brem. And she felt a hollow feeling, wondering if he was still alive. He was strong enough _and_ he had a family. A family that loved him.

"He." Seth's soft voice brought her back to the small apartment they were staying now.

"I heard ya, Seth." Rae looked away, but Seth kept his eyes on her. "Do you promise you'll give people a chance? I know they never gave us one, but it's different now. You need them."

Rae thought of what he just said. She never trusted anyone else, but her brothers. And Brem. Seth looked at her with begging eyes. "Promise?"

Rae softly nodded her head. "Say it, Rae. It want to make sure you mean it." Seth painfully pulled himself up, leaning on his healthy arm. Their eyes were now on the same level. Rae looked away, seeing the pain in his eyes." Okay, I promise. But only for you, Seth." He smiled softly and carefully fell back on the small bed.

Rae watched him, a miserable pale figure on the bed. "Seth?" Her voice was soft. Seth opened one eye. "Hm?" She looked at his infected arm. "Why didn't you notice there were Moaners in the room? I mean… you must've checked the room first, right?"

Seth closed his eyes again, letting out a painful sigh. "I checked it, yeah. They came out of that open door, but they were so damn quiet. I just didn't see them, too busy with collecting some delicious chocolate bars. But when I turned around, he was right around the corner. And then he grabbed me. " A soft smile appeared on his lips. "Your love for chocolate went too far this time" Rae tried to joke, but her voice failed her. Seth grinned slightly. "I guess it did, huh."

Then looked like he would lose his conscious, but managed to softly say: "There are some bars in my bag. Think of me when you eat them." His head fell to one side and his breath became light. Rae looked and his tired face. She didn't know if she was ever able to eat another chocolate bar again. Not now Seth lost his life to get some.

Rae stood up and was about to leave. "Is Dawn back?" Seth's voice was barely a whisper, slowly drifting off to sleep. She sighted. "No, you know him. Always sneakin' out." But Seth didn't hear her as he snorted lightly. Rae smiled sadly. It really wouldn't take long now and she hoped Dawn would return soon. She didn't want to be alone when Seth died. And when he would turn. That meant she had to do something that she was afraid she never could. Rae shivered.

After one last look at his aching body, she walked to the kitchen. Weirdly enough there was a couch in the middle of the small kitchen. She thought it was kind of funny that, beside the Moaners outside, even in an apartment things where out of the ordinary. Like everything, including furniture, had decided to do things differently. Rae knew she had a weird way of thinking. That was what made her an outsider in the eyes of other people. Levi have had the same problem. As soon as she thought of him, she saw his torn body.

"Stop it." She softly murmured to herself. She had to stop thinking about him. Or Sem. Or Seth, once he had died. She crawled onto the couch and she doze off into a light sleep. The apartment door opened softly, but Rae didn't notice. She was so tired, that she only slightly noticed someone hovering over her. A soft whisper reached her ears. A broken voice. _"I'm so sorry, sis. But I can't do it anymore"._ Silence. " _I love you."_ A soft kiss was planted on her cheek, and a tiny object was placed in her hands. Dawn wouldn't come back.

* * *

A bloodcurdling scream woke Rae harshly. She sat straight up and for a moment she didn't know where she was.

Then another scream, a groan. The image of Seth's torn up arm flashed through her mind as she quickly jumped up. Then another image appeared. No, a memory. Or was it a dream? _The whispering words, a soft kiss._ A third scream brought her back and in her hurry to get to the bedroom, she didn't notice a tiny figure falling on the ground. All she could think of was the screams of her brother.

When she entered the room, she froze in place. Seth was laying on the ground, rolling through the room. He held his arm tightly, as if he was scared it would fall off. Rae carefully walked over, sitting down on her knees. "Seth." Rae whispered. But her words got lost in his painful groans. "Seth." Louder this time. He laid still for a moment, but his muscles tensed. Rae just looked at him, not knowing wat to do. "Come on, look at me."

But then, Seth suddenly sat up and looked her directly in the eye. Rae jumped up slightly, surprised by his move. He almost fell back, but Rae grabbed his shoulders. He just stared at her. It was a terrifying look and she knew that this was it. Dawn was still gone and Seth was about to die. She had to do it on her own. _Dawn was gone._ She thought of the whispers again.

"Raeven." Seth's voice startled her and she raised an eyebrow when she heard him say her whole name. Nobody did. He was staring again. "What is it. Seth?" Suddenly his eyes looked at her, begging.

"Do it before I turn." She knew what he meant, but she didn't want to do it. "I'm begging you, Raeven. Don't let me turn." Rae felt tears sting behind her eyes. But she wouldn't cry. She couldn't cry. She never did, ever.

Seth's breathing got slower. It was his last wish and she didn't want her brother to become one of those monsters. She had to do it. "Alright, Seth. I hear ya. I won't let you turn." Her voice was full of pain.

Seth nodded weakly. "Le'mma go." Rae bit her teeth, to keep in a sob and gently laid Seth on the floor. She watched how his eyes slowly went empty, lifeless. Dead. Now the tearless sob came out and she grabbed his head with both her hands. She rested her forehead against his. "I love you, brother." Rae swallowed hard and laid his head back on the floor.

Rae sat up straight and grabbed her knife." I'm sorry." She whispered as the knife dug in the temple of his head. She moaned softly and clamped her teeth together. When she pulled the knife out, she crawled backwards. She leaned her back against the bed as she looked at her brothers dead body. The knife was trembling in her hand, dripping blood on the carpet. But she still didn't cry. She didn't allow herself to do so. And even if she did want to, there were no tears. She looked at the knife and wiped the blood of with the sheet that laid on the bed. Then she just sat with her mind blank as she stared into oblivion.

* * *

How long she had sat there, she didn't know. But it was already past midnight and pitch black. Feeling completely exhausted, she picked up de sheet from the bed and put it gently over Seth's lifeless figure.

But before she pulled it over his head, she looked at his neck. A small string with a little wooden wolf hung around it. She cut it off with her knife and looked at the little animal. He had made it himself. Carved with the tiniest details. Seth had always been good with wood. Always carving tiny figures for her to play with. She smiled at the memory, but it quickly faded.

While standing up, she took off the string that hung around her own neck. Instead of a wolf, she had a wooden raven. She hung the wolf next to it. He had made an animal for all of them. But she couldn't get Levi's. Or Sems… He just disappeared. She swallowed hard.

Rae pulled the sheet over Seth's head. What was she going to do with his body? He couldn't just stay here, lying on the floor.

She shivered, cold from the lack of sleep. Not knowing what to do, Rae stepped into the kitchen. No sign of Dawn. She felt angry at him for just leaving her alone. Again. _You should be used to it by now._ She had to.

She quietly walked towards the door, leading into the hallway and listened. No sound. Rae wished there was a peephole in the door, now she had to carefully open the door. She peeked her head out, but the hallway was deserted. Only some bodies that where rotting and smelling like hell. She pulled up her nose in disgust.

Closing the door, Rae decided to stay the night and leave the next morning. As she turned around, she noticed a tiny figure laying on the floor in front of the couch. She slowly walked towards it and kneeled down. A wooden bear. _Dawns bear._ Her heartbeat raised.

 _I can't do it anymore._ The words echoed through her head. It was Dawn. Dawn came back when she slept to say goodbye. She began to feel a panicking feeling, but it quickly turned into anger. He didn't even had the nerve to say it in her face, when she could say something back. Looking at the wooden bear in her hand, Rae stood up. The bear disappeared in her pocket. _His bear doesn't deserve to hang around her neck, not like Seth's wolf._

Rae looked towards the bedroom. _I have to bury him._ Tomorrow. Now that she knew Dawn was gone, really gone, she didn't have anything to stay for here. There was barely any food around here and she didn't want any of those monsters trapping her in this room. _Fuck Dawn._ If he wanted to bail on her like he had always done, she wouldn't need him. She would do just fine.

Then she thought of Seth again. She had to drag his body down from the fifth floor. She banned the thought of just leaving him here. _To rot, like the bodies in the hallway._ She shook her head. _No._ She couldn't just leave him, not like she had to leave Levi.

As Rae was standing in the middle of the kitchen, she almost fell over. _Shit._ She was so tired, that she would be able to sleep standing. It surprised her, she hadn't been able to sleep for weeks and now she felt like sleeping all the time. _Tomorrow I will burry Seth. It was getting to dark now._ She sleepily thought. The small couch was calling her. And for the second time that day, Rae was able to sleep for a while.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

 **It was morning, a bright sun was shining through the window. Rae rubbed her eyes, she finally slept well. Despite the thought that Seth's body was laying it the next room. And Dawn's mysterious departure.**

 **She looked around and ran a hand through her short cut hair. She had cut it herself, so it looked a bit messy. But there were only benefits of having short hair. It was easier to keep it clean.**

 **Dawn wouldn't come back this time, not now he cowardly said goodbye. No matter what reason he had. But that didn't change her anger towards him. After grabbing a water bottle and some cookies from one of the bags, Rae looked through the window overlooking the city. She saw several Moaners wondering the streets. It wouldn't be hard to avoid them, as long as they didn't came in hordes. No sign of a living person.**

 **But suddenly her eyes narrowed. She saw three figures running through the alleys behind the apartment building. Yes, running. No Moaners walk. Her heartbeat raised and she kept her eyes focused on the figures. They were fast and didn't waste any time. Then they disappeared as they ran around a corner.**

 **Rae thought of what Seth had said to her.** _ **You should find some people and maybe give them a chance to become your friends.**_ **Her mind was spinning about what she would do. After a couple of minutes she turned around. What could go wrong to just check it out?**

 **She began to put the most important things in her bag. Food, water, some meds and a loaded gun with extra ammo. She also grabbed a sniper riffle and her bow. She knew how to use a gun, but she preferred her bow. Much lighter and much more quiet. But some extra weapons were always a good thing to have. They already lost the bag with the other weapons, or just ran out of ammo for them. You couldn't say that Dawn was very careful with his stuff.**

 **Rae already had some clothes in her bag and a blanket was tied up on the outside. The quiver that held her arrows was strapped to the side. She pulled on her oversized blue denim jacket over her grey shirt. She only had one sleeve left and on her bare upper arm, a tattooed raven was visible. Rae looked at it, before pulling the jacket over it. She knew it was not a very original tattoo, because of the fact her name Raeven. But she admired the birds, they were intelligent and inventive. Rae was never a girl that cared much for her appearance and dressing to the latest fashion. She wore whatever she wanted, what mostly ended up in clothes from her brothers. Her black cargo pants were her favorite. Comfortable, as clothes should be.**

 **After packing the last survival gear, Rae looked towards the white figure in the bedroom. "I'll come back. Don't you worry." Seth's body laid on the floor like a ghost. "First I need to check something out." She murmured. Then she stepped outside, curious of the three men she had seen.**

 **Rae came across a few Moaners, but she avoid them easily. Walking through small alleys and climbing over fences, she managed to stay unnoticed. While Rae was walking, looking for something useful, she also kept an eye out for Dawn. Maybe he had changed his mind and would come back.** _ **You really think he would?**_

 **She had left a note in de apartment in case he came back. But now she thought it was stupid.** _ **Why would you care for that asshole?**_ **He made his choice.**

 **After wondering around the city about 15 minutes, she saw a supermarket. Thinking of the little food she had, Rae thought it would be good to check out if there was anything left in the building. While Rae was standing in the alley, she carefully surveyed the street from the shadows. Her bow and an arrow ready. She let it hang loosely in her hands, the arrow pointing down. No sign of a living soul. It was almost peaceful.**

 **Suddenly a familiar sound reached her ears. Moaners. A lot. She couldn't spot them yet. At the same time, the door of supermarket opened and Rae was surprised to see the three men she saw earlier hurrying out. Rae carefully looked around the corner. From both sides, a small herd of Moaners slowly walked around the corner. "Shit." She whispered.** _ **There they were, but where the hell did they come from?**_ **She had hardly seen any Moaners when she had wondered through the town. But now there were dozens.**

 **The men were surrounded, the only way out was through the alley Rae was in. But they couldn't see it, because of the a small truck blocking a part of the entrance. They could go back into the building, but by the looks on their faces she guessed that that wasn't an option.** _ **How the hell hadn't they notice the Moaners on their way here?**_

 **She observed them for a while, looking at the men's appearances. The man that seemed to be in charge, had slightly curling brown hair and was holding a gun. By the looks of it, he wasn't unfamiliar with it.** _ **Probably a cop.**_ **She grinned. She met a few of them before all this shit. And not just for a friendly chat.**

 **She narrowed her eyes as she looked at the man behind the cop. He looked Asian, even though he was pretty far away to get a good look at. He was also holding a gun, a little less comfortable with it than the cop. Then her gaze went to the last man. He was holding a crossbow and slowly walked behind the two others. His moves seemed smooth, like this was something he did all day. Interesting man.**

 **Now Rae had observed the men, she had to make a decision. The Moaners were getting dangerously close, but she didn't know if the men could be trusted. They could be the same kind of douchebags as the ones she and her brothers finished off some months ago. But she** _ **could**_ **lead them towards the alley and then disappear. And then hope they didn't follow her any further.**

 **Suddenly a loud crash came from a building, left from Rae. Carefully she stepped out of the shadows, squeezing herself past the truck. She was now in their sight, but the men didn't notice. They were too busy finding a way out. When Rae saw the cause of the noise, she made up her mind. The men were now also blocked from the alley, with a few dozen Moaners coming out of the building.**

 **With an arrow still on her bow she aimed at the new Moaners. She didn't need long to aim, as an arrow quickly hit the first one in the eye.** _ **Always the eyes, into the brain.**_ **It fell on the ground, while others stumbled over its body. That slowed them down a little. The men finally saw her and now tried to aim their weapons at the Moaners** _ **and**_ **her, but Rae already fired three more arrows at the Moaners. While the man with the crossbow joined her in firing a rain of arrows on the Moaners, a small pathway opened towards the alley.**

 **Rae let out a soft whistle and gestured with her hand for them to follow her. She fired two more arrows.** _ **Nine arrows left.**_ **When she squeezed herself past the truck, she heard the gunshots echoing through the street.** _ **The sound would only draw more Moaners.**_ **By the sound of their running footsteps, the men followed her. Rae hurried around a corner, out of their sight.**

 **The cop appeared first, followed by the Asian guy. The crossbow man however, was grumbling about "a bad idea" and stayed a little behind. Weapons still drawn, they paused. The sound of the Moaners came closer and Rae looked around for a place to escape. Her eye fell on a smashed-in window, a couple of meters away.**

" **Show yourself. Who are you?" Rae jumped slightly by the sound of the voice and backed away. The cop slowly walked closer. Rae decided she should probably go. "You're all okay now, right?" She yelled, not too loud. "You better push the truck to block the entrance."**

 **She quickly hurried toward the broken window. Before she went through, she stopped again. "Don't get yourself killed. Stay safe y'all!" With that words she climbed through, slightly cutting her arm. Warm blood welled up through her jacket, but Rae didn't notice. Her mind was already wondering in deep corners again.**

 _ **Was it smart that she had saved them? Or should she have stayed with them? And gave them a change?**_ **Remembering Seth's words.**

 **When Rae finally stopped running, she found herself back at the apartment. With her hands on her knees, Rae looked around. No sign of the three men. No sign of Moaners, yet.**

 **She suddenly felt a sting on her arm. Her jacket was slightly ripped and a red, bloodstained cut decorated her right arm. "Well, shit." She murmured. But now was not the time to take care of that, she would check on it later. First things first.**

 **Rae hesitated before entering the apartment building. She knew what she wanted to do. She had to get Seth out of there, giving him a proper resting place. And not on a cold floor in some rotten building. He didn't deserve that, no one did.** _ **Maybe Dawn?**_ **Rae shook her head. No, how much she hated him now, she would never wish him a dead like this.**

 **The sound of Moaners was still far away, so she had some time left to get up the stairs. But getting down was a different story. Dragging Seth down all those stairs wasn't going to be easy. And then find a place to bury him. With that thought, she stepped back outside. It was better to dig a grave first.**

 **After listening for nearby Moaners, she quietly ran towards the back of the building. There was a small grass area, that used to be the public garden of the apartment complex. Rae noticed there were a few graves already, made in a hurry. She grinned when she saw several improvised shovels laying around. "Thank you, dead people."**

 **Rae looked at one of the graves, while picking up one of the shovels. It was small and she realized it had to be a grave of a child. For a moment it was deadly quiet as an image of a child appeared in Rae's mind. A cheerful little girl with her doll, happily skipping through a meadow. "Ow, I'm getting way to sentimental." She shook her head, cursing at herself for such a silly and useless thought.**

 **After picking a spot, a few meters away from the other graves, she began to dig. So now and then she stopped, listening and scanning her surroundings. After a few minutes she scooped the last ground out of the shallow grave. She hoped that the Moaners couldn't dig to get a fresh meal of human meat. Shivers ran through her spine by the thought of Seth being pulled out of the ground by that monsters.**

 **Rae straightened her back and wiped the sweat of her face. It left a brown stripe of dirt on her forehead and she felt the scars that decorated her face. Old ones and new. They were part of her now. But the ones on her face weren't the only scars and Rae hardly thought about them anymore. Some people used to look at her, scared and curious by the red and white lines on her face. But for her, it was just another reminder of her shitty life.**

 **Rae felt her arm sting as the dirt had mixed with the blood of the wound. But she ignored it. It was time to get her brother. Just as Rae wanted to round the corner towards the main entrance, she spotted several Moaners coming up the street. "Damn potato heads." She mumbled. After counting the number of Moaners, Rae knew she had to be fast. There were about twenty stumbling towards her, moaning and with clicking teeth. "Not today, suckers."**

 **With two steps at a time, Rae hurried up the stairs to the room where her brothers was still lying. Her backpack, riffle and bow bumped against her back with every step. They were going to slow her down, when she had to drag Seth with her. But she couldn't leave them in the room or outside, not when those men were still out there.**

 **Before she entered the room, Rae paused for a moment. What a fucked up world this was. First she had four brothers, now she had none. Two dead, two disappeared. Real fucked up.**

 **Rae laid Seth down for a moment. While straightening her back, she looked down the stairs. One to go, nearly there. But the sound of the Moaners made her feel nervous for a second. She had locked the door of the main entrance, so she had to find another way out. She knew there was a fire exit, on the opposite of the main entrance.** _ **But what if it was crowded with Moaners behind the doors?**_

" **Fuck it." Her voice sounded firm. No weakness, it didn't suite her. She never wanted to be or look brave, but she had to keep her head clear.** _ **No mercy.**_ **She didn't know why she thought that, but Dawns words just appeared in her mind.** _ **Where was that shithead now? So damn selfish.**_ **Yes, that is what he was. Selfish. And a drunk.**

 **Rae had continued to carry Seth down the steps by his armpits, while thinking all this. Now she stood at the bottom of the stairs, facing the entrance. "Well, now we certainly can't go out that way." She said while Moaners where pushing against the glass door. It wouldn't hold very long. With a sight she dragged Seth towards the fire exit. With one ear against the door, Rae listened if there were any unwelcome noises. There weren't.**

 **Seth seemed to grow heavier with each step. The small hallway of the fire exit looked extremely long as the temperature was high and sweat dripped down Rae's face. "Damn heath."**

 **Once she stepped outside, Rae couldn't help but stand still and enjoy the little breeze. It was still warm, but it was better than inside. Not seeing any sign of Moaners, she tried to gently lay Seth in the fresh grave. But he ended up falling softly on the bottom.**

 **Rae looked at his face for a moment, which didn't look very pleasant after lying in the room for a day. She had taken the white sheet from the room and threw it over Seth's body. "Goodbye, brother." Her voice was a whisper, while she hurried to filled the grave with the fresh ground.**

 **She was about done, when she heard the Moaners getting closer. They spotted her. It was time to go. With one look at Seth's grave, she turned around. Another memory to forget.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone! It is already the fourth chapter! Thank you for the reviews so far, I'm curious to know what you think of my story.**

 **I also want to let you know, that this is my very first Fanfiction and the first story I am writing in English. So I am still finding my way in all this.**

 **Enjoy!**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the Walking Dead, only my own characters.**_

Chapter IV

It felt like she was alone on this planet. It was quiet and everywhere she came, it was abandoned. Rae thought it all looked surreal.

She was back on the road for six days now and she noticed that she was still looking out for a sign of Dawn. But she knew that was useless. He chose to leave.

Rae was no longer in the small town where she buried Seth, but traveled mostly through the woods. She preferred to travel here, training her hunting skills again. The smell of the trees and nature life gave her new energy. Besides, the chance that she would bump into people was nihil.

While she made her way through the woods, Rae thought of the three men she led to safety and wondered where they were now. _Were there more people with them? Would they have a safe place to stay?_ If she would find them, would they let her in? She wasn't the easiest person to get along with, even done some things she wasn't proud of. They could she her as a threat.

It was still very hot, flies buzzing around her head. Rae looked at the ground. There were several rabbit tracks, but they were old. Not a change they were anywhere near.

The other day, she came across a beautiful deer. She had watched the animal peacefully drinking water in a nearby stream. Just something normal, for once. Rae had no intensions of killing it, there was too much meat for her alone. She would never be able to eat it all, before it would rot. It would be a waste of such a magnificent animal. Animals where her soft spot, they didn't judge. She sighted lightly.

Her footsteps were silent and her senses where sharp. Nothing went past her, as she made her way through the green woods. Soon, she spotted a covered place underneath a large tree. She was walking for almost four hours straight now and it was time to have some food. Not that she had much, only some canned beans, a handful of fruits and cookies. _And some chocolate bars._ There probably wasn't much left of it, because of the heath. But she just couldn't eat it. _Seth loved chocolate._

Now that she sat down in the cool shadow of the trees, Rae felt how tired she was. Her head was fuzzy, but she forced herself to stay awake. No time for sleeping now, though she still hardly could at night. Just some quick naps. Rae opened her backpack and pulled out a pack of cookies. They were already dried out, but it stilled her hunger for a while.

While chewing forcefully on the dry cookie, she still kept an eye on her surroundings. Her bow and arrow laid on her lap, ready to be picked up.

Rae just decided to move on again, when soft moans drew her attention. She quickly jumped to her feet, swinging her backpack on her back and aiming her bow. _Running footsteps._ Rae narrowed her eyes, hiding in the shadows like she had done back in town. _Always stay in the shadows._

The moans where getting closer, but the footsteps had stopped. She furrowed her brows, deciding what to do. _"Help!"_ Rae tensed. The voice sounded small, high. "Help me, please!" Louder this time, but still small. She immediately moved forward, hardly making a sound. Quickly she saw several Moaners coming from behind the trees. She counted seven.

Then she saw the boy.

"Shit." The boy's face was pale as he laid flat on the ground, probably slipped down the small hill he tried to climb. There was blood on his head and right leg and his pants where ripped. He tried to crawl back up, but he seemed dizzy and lost his balance.

 _They're getting too close._ The Moaners kept coming for the boy, but Rae was thankful that there weren't more than the seven she had spotted. Yet.

She saw something glister in the boy's hand and she realized he had a gun. _How old was this boy that he already had a gun?_ But then, this world wasn't normal.

The boy wasn't quick enough and a Moaner already reached his decaying hands towards him. Rae aimed her bow and an arrow bored between its eyes. _In the damn eyes, Rae. Not between them._ But the Moaner fell dead, anyway.

The boy let out a surprised scream and turned his head. His eyes where big when they met hears, but Rae was already shooting her next arrow. _Bingo._ The Moaner fell to the ground. The boy quickly recovered and aimed his gun at a Moaner. He missed. _Idiot!_ He was going to attract more with his gun, didn't he know that?

Rae quickly checked the amount of arrows she had left. It wasn't much and she cursed herself. She should've had made more when she had the chance. But there was so little danger the last couple of days, that she had neglected to take care of her weapon stock.

Another gunshot, he missed again. Moaners where getting closer and Rae shot two more Moaners in the eye. _Three to go. S_ he cursed as she saw five more Moaners appear from behind the trees. And she had only three more arrows left.

She cursed again. But bickering at herself wouldn't help now. She didn't hesitate and slit down the hill. "Get up!" There was no way she could carry the boy up the hill so quickly. He didn't get a chance to get up himself, as Rae already yanked him on his feet by his collar. "Got a knife?" She said curtly. He nodded.

The first Moaner was close and Rae waited for the thing to do the 'attack'. When it was close enough, she grabbed it by the throat while dogging its arms and pushed her knife in the eye. She quickly looked around and saw the boy standing still with his knife in his hand. "C'mon, boy! Kill that smaller Moaner of there. Wait for it to come to you."

The boy looked shortly at her, a surprised look in his eyes. "Moaner?" She heard him ask. But she didn't respond.

The next Moaner was also an easy kill for Rae, but the boy was struggling with his. He fell on the ground, the Moaner on top of him. Rae didn't think and ran to the boy, kicking in the head of the Moaner.

The boy just laid there for a second. "Well, c'mon. Still some left." He stumbled up, a painful expression on his face. His leg was probably hurting like hell, but Rae didn't care. She didn't even know why she was helping this boy, like she didn't know why she had saved that three men.

She grabbed her bow again and fired her last three arrows at the nearest Moaners. They all dropped dead.

Rae threw her bow on the ground and grabbed her knife again, when two arrows pierced the heads of the remaining two. Rae turned around immediately, now switching the knife for her gun. She aimed, but the sun blinded her. She only saw three dark figures standing at the top of the hill.

 _Well, shit._

"Drop your weapon!" A harsh voice commanded. Rae hesitated, scanning the three shadows.

"Dad!" The boy looked up, relieved. "Carl!" Another voice came from the top of the hill. _A familiar voice._ Rae didn't know what to think of this, lying down her gun would mean surrender and she wasn't going to do that. Not without a fight.

But then she thought of the boy. She couldn't try and kill the men in front of him. His dad was one of them. Besides, when she would manage to kill one of them, there would probably be an arrow stuck in her head.

While Rae slowly stepped back with her gun aimed at the men, 'Dad' and another man with a shaved head slowly walked down the hill, trying to keep their balance while keeping their eyes on her. Both were pointing a gun at her.

"Drop it, girl." Carl's dad went straight to Carl, but kept his eyes and gun at Rae. The other man slowly made his way directly toward Rae. He stopped a few steps in front of her and looked at her with a hostile look in his eyes. She didn't flinch.

"What in the hell where ya thinkin', Carl?" His father's face was full of concern and anger. _She knew him, she had recognized his voice. It was that cop. The same cop she saw in town._ The other man, the hostile looking guy, she didn't know. But she instantly knew she didn't like him. His whole appearance screamed dominance. _Like_ _Dawn._

Carl spoke to his dad, his voice soft. "Dad, I'm sorry. I… I thought I could kill one on my own. But…"

Rae heard the man on the top of the hill, snore. She still couldn't see him, but judging by the arrows that had been shot, she assumed it was the crossbow man that she saw in town with the cop.

Carl didn't seem to hear him. "I couldn't and then I went back. But there came more, from behind the trees. I fell and then she showed up." He pointed his finger at Rae, who just looked at him with a plain expression. This boy surely could talk and Rae wished he didn't. His father examined her for a while before turning to his son.

"Carl, you just worried the hell outta your mom. You can't just run off like that". Carl only nodded, his head down. "We'll talk about it when we get back." The man turned his attention towards Rae again. She raised her eyebrow.

"Girl, I'm really grateful for what you did for my son, but you need to drop the gun. Don't make this any harder. We don't want to harm you, but we don't know ya." Rae let out a huff, not buying his words. She didn't know them either, what only got on her nerves. _Couldn't they just leave her alone?_

"You are outnumbered. You shoot one of us, we shoot you. Either way we both lose somethin'. It aint worth it " The man tried to keep his voice calm, but she heard a hint of irritation.

Rae firmed the grip on her gun and nodded her head slowly, while taking another step back.

"Cmon, Rick. We can't just stay here, waitin' for them Walkers to come." _Walkers?_ That's why the boy asked her about Moaners. He just uses a different name.

"I know Shane." Rick sighted frustrated. "Now, one more time. Drop your gun."

But Rae shook her head again. "Don't wanna come with ya, doin' fine on my own. Why don't ya just let me go?" Her voice sounded frustrated and her eyebrows furrowed.

She would just turn around and go her own way, but they probably wouldn't let her. they were way too suspicious.

And she was right when she saw Rick shaking his head. "Na, we can't." He paused for a moment. "You alone?"

Rae pinched her lips together for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, and I would like to stay alone."

The shaved headed man, Shane, huffed in respond. "I bet you're lying. We let you go, you'll come back with more people and take what we have."

Rae's eyes narrowed. Did they have a place to stay? This is what Seth wanted her to do. Finding a place, finding people. But with this people?

She decided to just ask. "You have a place?" Rick's face softened a bit as he nodded. From the corner of her eye, Rae saw the crossbow man slowly making his way down the hill.

"We gonna chat all day? Just drop yer gun." He was definitely the crossbow man from town. He kept the crossbow pointed at her, his eyes narrowed. Some of his peeking hair stuck to his forehead.

Then Carl spoke up, in her defense. "Dad, she saved me. She didn't know me, but she came anyway." Rick looked at him shortly. "Doesn't mean we shouldn't be careful." He responded sharply. Rae raised her eyes, she was getting tiered of this bullshit.

Then, Shane suddenly jumped forward, surprising Rae. The gun was knocked out of her hands when he tried to grab her arms. But Rae didn't let him get away with that so easy. Without thinking she kicked him in his balls with her knee. "Shit! You bitch." _She had done it so many times._ He collapsed forward, groaning in pain. In a split second, she yanked her fist against his yaw. He stumbled to the ground, but recovered quickly.

His eyes where flickering with rage. He already came at her again, but Rick grabbed him by his arm.

Suddenly she felt strong hands grabbing her arms from behind. Crossbow man had snuck up on her, but Rae planted her elbow against his chest. He let out a huffed sound, but didn't let her go. _It was worth a try._ He now threw his arms all around her chest, pinning her arms to her side. She tried to squirm out of his grip, but he tackled her. She fell face first on the ground and the man's knee pressed in her back as yanked her arms back. A flashback reminded her of Dawn. _He had done the same._ "Not goin' anywhere, sunshine." He growled.

She let out a frustrated sound. Normally she was fast enough to dodge such obvious move, but from the lack of sleep her sight went blurry so now and then. And right now she was very dizzy.

"Tie her up, Daryl." Rick's voice wasn't so friendly anymore. Daryl the crossbow man strained her with a rope, almost closing of the blood circulation in her hands. _How rude._

Who did they think they were to treat her like this? She just saved the boy's life. _And theirs._ Rae felt the pressure on her back release as Daryl stood up. Rae rolled on her side, but suddenly a foot was planted in her stomach. Rae let out a painful groan.

"Shane! What the hell." She heard Rick yell angry. Shane responded, venom in his voice. "What do ya mean? She kicked me in the balls." Rae spit on the ground in responds. _She wouldn't mind doing it again._

Her stomach burned, but Daryl pulled her on her feet by grabbing her arm. With some effort, her feet managed to get some grip on the ground. Still dizzy and out of breath. Finally she stood up straight, but she flinched while she tried to breath in. _He kicked her hard, all right._

They all looked at her now, Carl with big eyes of what she had just done. Daryl pushed her forward and Rick took her by the arm now. When she looked back, she saw Daryl pulling the arrows out of the lifeless Moaners. Or Walkers, as they called them. _Her arrows too, how nice._

His eyes met hers for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face. He shook his head, hardly noticeable. _What the hell did that mean?_ But he already let his gaze trail through the forest.

She frowned and look forward, what resulted in a dark look of Shane. He picked up her weapons and backpack.

She tried to step forward, not wanting him to touch her stuff. But Rick yanked her back.

"Hey, easy. You've done enough." She looked at him with gritted teeth, but his eyes were stern. "You're coming with us. Nothin' stupid, all'right?" Rae raised her eyebrow again, it seemed to be her thing, her eyebrow often just raised by itself.

Suddenly Shane spoke again. "Don't mind me askin', but your face. What the hell happened?" She heard the mocking tone in his voice. Rae knew the scars on her face weren't too pretty, but she didn't feel like telling them how she got them. Instead of answering, she just gave him a dark look.

Shane grinned. "Not much of a storyteller, are ya?"

Rick shot him a warning look. "We'll interrogate her later. We should go back now."

When they finally reached the top of the hill, Daryl walked right past them. Without saying a word he strolled off, disappearing into the woods. Hardly making a sound. _Interesting._

The whole way, there was a heavy silence. Rick still held her arm, a gun in his other hand. Carl was limping beside him. From the corner of her eye, Rae could see he was throwing curious looks at her. She didn't look back, children always made her feel uncomfortable. She never knew what to say to them, what ended up with her being blunt or rude. And that ended up in crying or scared kids.

Shane was walking behind them. She could feel his prying eyes on her back. There was a certain tension between Rick and Shane. She could tell, of the vigilant look in Ricks eyes every time he looked back at Shane. They probably had some history.

Then her mind wondered to where they would lead her. She knew there would be another woman, Carl's mother. Rick's wife. But that didn't say a thing about how safe their group was. _If there was a group._

Then her mind went to Daryl. Or crossbow man, as she liked to call him. Where did he go? She had looked the ground for any footprints. But if he had gone the same way they did, the man moved surprisingly light. _Really interesting._


End file.
